Learning to Give Thanks for Answered Prayer

In review of Habakkuk 3:2 it says, “O Lord, now I have heard your report, and I worship you in awe.”

Bottom Line:

God’s reputation precedes Him. Give Him praise, thank him and be in awe for what he will do. Ask him to help you and provide mercy.

What this means to me:

Lord, your reputation precedes you, I give you praise, thank you and stand in awe for what you are about to do. Help me again as you have in the past, and show me your mercy.

Today's passage comes from the first part of Habakkuk's prayer in which he starts with God's reputation and how God comes through for us with mercy in our time of need. Habakkuk concludes with the notion that when things go our way or even though they may not not go the way we plan them, we can rejoice and give thanks to the Lord, because he is our strength and makes us surefooted in times of trouble.

What I’m learning is that if I want to hear God speak, then I should worship Him. This translates to being thankful for him being a part of my life and for even being interested in the smaller details. I am to thank him for answering my prayers: “O Lord, now I have heard your report, and I worship you in awe” (Habakkuk 3:2a LB). God gives you a vision. God gives you a dream. You know what God wants you to do, so now you thank him for answering your prayer. That’s part of worshiping God.

Rick Warren suggests that I stop seeing my prayers as a monologue and instead start seeing them for what they truly are: a dialogue. After all, prayer is a conversation with God. God hears you when you pray, and he answers you when you ask questions. He wants to talk to me every day. If I will faithfully talk to God every day throughout the day, it can be revolutionary.

It’s hard to hear God until I know Him, and there are three levels of knowing Him: recognition, acquaintance, and friendship. Am I at the recognition level; I know God is there, but I don't really know him. Or, am I at the acquaintance level; I know God a little bit, but I don't know him very well.

God is looking for me to live at the friendship level. He wants to be my friend, and he wants me to be his friend. God wants me to talk with him all the time.

Today I pray, “God, I'm amazed that you would want me for a friend. I really want to learn to have conversations with you. Help me to spend time with you every day. Thank you that you care about every detail of my life.  And Jesus, I want to know you more and more every day, and I want to depend on you for guidance in my job, my family, my future, and in every other area of my life. I invite you to be the manager of my life, my Lord and Savior, as I follow you and trust you. In your name I pray. Amen.”